Sun, 24 May 2020 07:06:15 -0700WeeblySun, 24 May 2020 13:24:52 GMThttp://www.whitneysoup.com/blog/got-a-lotta-chips-on-both-my-shouldersHow can I blog about my life and try to be funny without also being an a-hole?

This is why you don't see new posts anymore. I don't know how to live and think sans ill will.

​Have you met people before though? I have, and I can’t conclude anything other than I’m a delight and they don’t notice anything worth paying attention to.

(Pleased that you’re still reading.)

I consume self-improvement books on an on-again-off-again basis, and they stress the importance of having a positive attitude. ‘You are what you think.’ Usually, the causality looks like this: value > belief > think > say > act > habit > how-your-life-plays-out.

After 34 years of doing things and saying things, I find that I work harder at staying generous and open, while everyone’s teeth are getting more yellow.

To be clear: I commit time to bettering myself while others are being super lame.

​Burned the inside of my upper and lower lips. So, both of my mouth lips.

Was roasting marshmallows over the stove - as you do over Labor Day weekend - with a chopstick. And when I went to grab that last bit off of the stick, I over-inserted the stick into my mouth and I closed in on the stick with my lips past where any marshmallow ever lay. That’s when I burned myself. On the part of the stick that was just getting heated from the flames of my stove.

Now there are white almost dead skin pieces on the parts where I had my lips on the wooden chopstick.

]]>Thu, 13 Sep 2018 12:44:45 GMThttp://www.whitneysoup.com/blog/greatest-decade-again-goes-to-the-90sOver two and half years have gone by, and I have accomplished so much in my life. I didn’t have any time to write to and for y’all. (One of my cousins from Dallas says ‘y’all’ pretty often and it gets stuck in my head like a song, so now I’m using it even though I hail from the suburbs of Massachusetts and my immediate and extended ancestors hail from Southern China. I am owning ‘y’all’.)

Of course I’m lying. 2.5 years have passed and mostly unremarkable things have happened. Some highlights though:

Graduated from UCLA.

Moved back to NY.

Got a job at another university, although, this job sucked hard.

Then, this year, I finally got a job I can stick to for a while!

Main lowlight: Starting with the second bullet, I had been dating a new dude. The new dude and I have since ended things, so all is right with my world again. But I’d like to steer clear of dating dudes until further notice.

For the past 2 months, I’ve actually been working on writing a book. If it never gets published, then I’ll publish it here.

​Last weekend, I was renaming some of my characters, and one of the last names I chose was ‘Lu’. Factually nice last name. Then I remembered that I am Whitney Lu.

Dug this up for y’all:

Boston Globe from 1994

Take a look at the letters section. Read what the newspaper asked us to write, and then read some sample student letters. ​

Now read what Whitney “Lu” sent in. ​

My grammar has improved, thankfully, but not much else has changed.

And, yes, I was crushed that they misprinted my last name.

Gotta go finish this book and get it published so I can redeem myself.

Followed by the announcement, “the syllabus on the course website is not up-to-date,” in her extremely soft-spoken voice. (Nothing thrills me more than a quiet lecturer.)

Followed by the question, “Are there any first-years in here?”

My hand was the only one raised in response.

The professor then tried to be wisdom-y or something: “You’re at an advantage and disadvantage. The disadvantage is that the second-years know things that you don’t. And the advantage is that you’ll get to learn from them.” As in I will be benefitting because I have the opportunity to learn from the oh-so-sage second-years.

Um, really? Thanks for that announcement to the class. But let’s get this straight. The second-years don’t know more than I do. They were stupid enough to have walked into this class just like I did. They are as dumb as I am.

Needless to say, the class was not good. So I did what anyone with manners and maturity would do. I promptly and discreetly left the class of 9 (formerly including me) students at break-time.

]]>Tue, 30 Dec 2014 19:30:01 GMThttp://www.whitneysoup.com/blog/-schools-out-for-the-summer My first quarter at library school is finished. Now I’ve got time for reflection. Since I arrived here in Los Angeles four months ago, I have spotted four celebrities! Jamie from Top Chef

Dr. Jackson Avery from Grey’s Anatomy

Mrs. Kim from Gilmore Girls

Ellen Page of recently coming out (and from lots of movies)

Both Dr. Avery and Ms. Page were noticeably stylish. Ms. Lauren (Jamie from Top Chef) and Mrs. Kim, not so much.

]]>Thu, 09 Oct 2014 18:43:04 GMThttp://www.whitneysoup.com/blog/make-shift-lifeI’m here! In California. Los Angeles. For at least the next 2 years. Arrived almost 6 weeks ago, but somehow still sleeping on a make-shift bed.

Do not despair! I am very capable of curling up when the time calls.

Reminder: I moved to here from Massachusetts for graduate school (library and information science). Classes started this week. So did in-class student introductions. My WordPress class professor asked us to list the internet-capable electronics we use. (This question came after, ‘What are your career goals?’) When my turn came, I stood up and proudly revealed that I use a PC laptop. An iPad mini. And a Windows Phone. A Windows Phone. Please feel free to let out a verbal emotion. The entire class did. They gasped and oooo’d. My professor verbally consoled me, “Aw, that’s OK.” I had to reassure them that I have a Windows Phone by choice, and that my mental state regarding my phone is happy. When I sat down at the conclusion of my student introduction, the international student was giving me sympathy eyes.

]]>Wed, 25 Jun 2014 17:13:12 GMThttp://www.whitneysoup.com/blog/agogo-and-gatoradeOn Monday, I started my summer stats class. Why am I taking a stats class? My grad program that starts this fall is making me. What do I think about stats now that I’m in it? Well, all the Indian and Asian students sit in the center row of the amphitheater classroom. And the white students and the 2 black students sit in the outside rows. I was sandwiched between 2 boys. One was nice and had neat handwriting. The other was neither, and wouldn’t stop using his teeth - all of his teeth - to play with his pen cap. Like one of these wooden instruments.

(I learned that this is called a wooden agogo bell.)

His teeth was the agogo part, and his pen cap was the stick part (called a beater, I learned). So badly, I wanted to form a friendship with him. Tonight, I shall sit somewhere else. Possibly next to this noticeably large man who bought 3 (three!) Gatorade sports drinks from the vending machine during the 10 minute break. I want to be there if he does that again and realizes ingesting that many electrolytes is crazy. This is what I think about the “most important science in the whole world: for upon it depends the practical application of every other science and of every art.” According to Florence Nightingale, according to my professor.

]]>Wed, 30 Apr 2014 21:26:23 GMThttp://www.whitneysoup.com/blog/storiesA little while before right now, I was stuck in traffic. (The motor vehicle kind.) But the cause wasn’t from a crash or a fender bender!

That’s a duckie inside the green circle. I instantly went from being traffic-depressed to cute-thing-happy. Days / weeks later, I attended The Fanciest Wedding.

(I’m the lady-who-wasn't-ready-for-the-photographer-to-take-the-picture in the back, not the princess on the left.)

Where I was inspired to order myself new sunglasses.

(protective case)

Because... Guess what?! I’m moving to LA! (Not Louisiana. The other LA.) Moving with this guy. Happening in the autumn. So stay tuned for stories about all the celebs I’m gonna meet. In the meantime, I’m still going to be working at this graduate school. With a staple in the middle of my sweater.

(Lost a button today.)

]]>Thu, 13 Feb 2014 02:09:40 GMThttp://www.whitneysoup.com/blog/lucky-meMy Valentine's Day present came early this year. In the form of sweatpants.